Blueberries Promote Exercise Recovery

Recent findings from research conducted in New Zealand indicates that blueberries—and more specifically, the potent antioxidants they contain—could help people to return to peak performance faster after strenuous exercise.

The function that antioxidants play in recovery from exercise involves the inhibition of free radicals produced as a result of the exercise itself. Although clearly beneficial for long-term health, it is also true that all exercise produces some degree of inflammation, and intense or prolonged exercise can produce enough to actually inhibit progress.

Ten female participants were involved in the study. In the first part, participants were given blueberry smoothies before, during, and for two days after the performance of exercise strength tests, while blood samples were taken to monitor recovery. Several weeks later, the exercise were repeated, while a “placebo” smoothie (made without blueberries) was consumed instead.

Results indicated that—despite the total antioxidant content of the control and experimental smoothies to be similar—ingesting the blueberries ultimately produced a higher level of antioxidant defense in the blood. This was associated with an improved rate of recovery in the first 36 hours in one particular measure of muscle performance, expressed in terms of muscular strength.

Although not directly influencing adaptation and development in the muscle, it appears that by helping to reduce the oxidative stress within, the polyphenols present in blueberries enable those adaptations to occur more quickly. Those who find themselves occasionally kept from the gym or other activities by excess inflammation might be advised to stock up on this fruit in natural or supplemental form.